Overnight Trip to Banff and Jasper Oct 11 & 12

We took the girls to Banff and Jasper National Parks this weekend, for an overnight adventure.

We left early Sunday morning and headed on the back road from our place in Edmonton south on Hwy 22 to Rocky Mountain House then west on Hwy 11 to Banff National Park. 

We really wanted to check out a lake on Hwy 11 called Abraham Lake. It was beautiful, just like we had been told.

Once in the park we headed north on Hwy 93, the Icefields Parkway. We stopped at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre where Brewster Travel does tours of the Glacier Skywalk and Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure (driving out on to the Athabasca Glacier).

After our tours we headed further north and spent the night in Jasper. We were planning on going up the Jasper SkyTram on Monday morning but the weather turned and it was raining and the clouds were so low there was no view (we checked the web cam). We chose to head straight east to Miette Hot Springs, a great morning for it with the cool breeze and clouds. The girls loved the hot pools, and once we were done soaking we loaded up and headed home.

Abraham Lake at the foothills of the Rockies; glacial feed and dam controlled

It was very very windy, some of the waves/white caps out on the lake were huge!

Brynn was almost blown over by the wind

The colour of the water was amazing

On our way into the mountains 

A family selfie at our lunch stop

There is snow in the mountains, Scott is dreaming of skiing 

Waiting at the Icefield Discovery Centre and hanging out with the Moose and Bear

The Glacier Skywalk was very neat. The girls loved taking the bus to and from the Discovery Centre to the Skywalk.

Included in the ticket was a self guided tour. Each girl got their own listening device

Out on the Skywalk was fantastic, now I really want to go on the glass bridge over the Grand Canyon.

There is the ground. Neither one of our girls had any problems going out on the glass floor

Scott is in the middle of the bridge holding the yellow bag

A quick photo from the Icefield Discovery Centre where we were headed next. Up the road and on to the glacier!

Our transportation to go out on to the glacier.

The crazy road down on to the glacier

Back up the hill and off of the glacier